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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg marries long-time girlfriend

It was an event that came as a surprise to everyone -- including guests -- but at the end of the day, Mark Zuckerberg could change his relationship status.

The Facebook CEO married his girlfriend of nine years, Priscilla Chan, in a ceremony Saturday. The two wed in Zuckerberg's Palo Alto, Calif., backyard.

Zuckerberg, 28, and Chan, 27, met while attending Harvard in 2003 and have been together ever since, as Chan has been by Zuckerberg's side as the billionaire has built his Facebook empire.

According to the Associated Press, fewer than 100 guests attended the wedding, but none was aware beforehand that Zuckerberg and Chan would be tying the knot. Most believed the celebration was related to Chan's recent graduation from the University of California, San Francisco's medical school. But upon arrival, guests found Zuckerberg in a suit and Chan in a wedding dress as the two exchanged marriage vows.

Food from Zuckerberg's and Chan's favorite sushi restaurant was among the menu items served to friends.

While a wedding has been on the horizon for the couple for months, certain other events in the lives of both have moved it to the back-burner until Saturday. Zuckerberg, for one, has had an eventful week.

Facebook began selling stock offerings Friday. The hype surrounding the event was enormous, but after one full day on the market, Facebook's stock closed at just $38.27 per share, 27 cents above its opening price. HULIQ reported Saturday that Facebook stock could be a risky proposition for shareholders, as Facebook's privacy concerns create a shaky business model.

Nonetheless, Zuckerberg still remains one of the most wealthy men in the world. Since creating the company in his college dorm room (as seen in the movie "The Social Network"), Zuckerberg has watched the site's popularity explode. In a report Thursday, the Los Angeles Times said Zuckerberg is worth $19.1 billion after Facebook's IPO, making him the 29th-richest person on Earth. Despite the public sale starting Friday, Zuckerberg holds the highest stake in the company with 503.6 million shares.

Everyone associated with Facebook has seen great financial rewards. Bloomberg reports that the company's first chief technology officer, Dustin Moskovitz, is worth $5.6 billion, and Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's partner-turned-opponent, is worth $2.7 billion.

It is unknown if the multi-billionaire Zuckerberg took any previsions to protect his assets should he and Chan split up down the road.